Governor Mike Parson has proclaimed Oct. 19 as Buckle Up Phone Down Day in Missouri.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety reports texting increases the risk of car crashes by 50 percent.
MODOT spokesperson Matt Hiebert was part of a team promoting the campaign on the MU campus Friday. He said by being out in the community and sharing the Buckle Up Phone Down campaign, drivers will hopefully take the challenge to be safer on the roads.
“If you take those two actions, you will increase your safety astronomically, either by avoiding an accident or by surviving one if you get into one,” he said.
MoDot reports over 90 percent of crashes are caused by some form of human error.
For more information on the campaign, visit MoDOT.org/BuckleUpPhoneDown.